


Champagne Problems

by Lil_Lottie



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29227467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Lottie/pseuds/Lil_Lottie
Summary: Sometimes you just don't know the answer till someone's on their knees and asks you.Legolas asks Kili a question. Kili says no.
Relationships: Kíli/Legolas Greenleaf
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Champagne Problems

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to P!@TGC

There was a celebration in Mirkwood. Citizens of the neighboring kingdoms were here by invitation of the king to join in the festivities. Even Kili’s family had said they would attend, and Kili was excited to see his family again after so long, at least. Now, if only Kili could figure out what they were, in fact, celebrating. 

Kili was told he needed to dress in his royal best. Legolas had come by earlier to tell him that and to give him a new coat. It was purple with green trim and golden stitching. A sign to “unite their houses,” Legolas said when he dropped it off. The elf had smiled at him, and his eyes shone when he asked Kili to wear it tonight. The word “yes” seemed to fall out of his mouth.

Kili couldn’t get over how beautiful the coat was. When he tried it on, he noticed how much it complimented him. It framed his shoulders and tucked in at his waist. He looked less like a dwarven prince and more like a consort to an elven one. He wondered why a strange feeling settled in his stomach at the thought.

The party in Mirkwood was in full swing by the time Kili made his way down from his rooms. As soon as he walked in, Fili appeared at his side, “Brother! It’s been far too long.”

Fili led his brother through the crowd of dancing party guests.

His brother’s presence eased his earlier anxiety, and Kili found himself in good spirits once again. Fili always had a calming effect on him. 

The Lady Dis was sitting at a small table at the side of the room; glasses filled with drink were lined up, waiting for someone to take them. 

“Amad, I have found your traitorous elf loving son.” There was a twinkle in Fili’s eye and a smirk on his face. Kili would start a fight with his brother if they weren’t in the company of hundreds of strangers.

“Fili, don’t tease your brother,” Dis said as she stood up from her seat. She pulled Kili into her arms and hugged her son, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, amad,” Kili said as he pulled away and grabbed one of the glasses on the table. He sipped in silence as Fili and Dis chatted about the ball and what King Thranduil could possibly have to celebrate. It seemed that what was to come was a surprise to everyone in attendance. 

However, what wasn’t surprising was how Legolas was making his way through the crowd as if looking for someone. Then his eyes locked onto Kili’s, and a smile graced the elf prince’s face.

“Prince Fili, Lady Dis, it is wonderful to see you both tonight,” Legolas said when he finally reached their table.

“It was wonderful of your father to invite us,” Dis said, bowing her head politely.

“I would love to catch up, but I was wondering if I could ask prince Kili a question.”

Kili was caught off guard by this, “yes, of course. What would you like to ask?”

“Prince Kili, would you honor me with a dance?”

Kili smiled at his family as he sat down his glass on the table his mother was sitting. It was a bubbly wine--champagne, someone had said. Kili turned his attention to Legolas, “I would love to.”

Legolas took his hand lead him to the dance floor. The song was slow, and most of the guests were softly swaying to the melodic music. Legolas placed one hand on the small of Kili’s back, and the other rested in the dwarf’s strong hand. It was almost like magic. 

“I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together,” Legolas began, “I know you were hesitant about coming here to serve as an advisor to my father, but I do think you’ve settled in nicely, if I may say so.” 

“You may. It’s been a long year, but I can’t lie to you; I am happy here. You and your father have been wonderful friends to me.” Kili kept his eyes on his feet as he made sure not to step on the elf prince’s toes. It felt like a metaphor; he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and accidentally upset the prince. He didn’t want to accidentally break the prince’s toe. 

“There is another reason I wanted to ask you to dance.” Kili felt Legolas’s hand tighten on his back as he spoke.

The feeling Kili felt earlier came back, more solemn than before. He wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol or the way Legolas had him clutched to his chest, but Kili felt his heart pound in his chest, “About what, my friend?”

Legolas stopped dancing, “Your friendship has changed me. You snuck under my skin and into my heart. I look forward to seeing you every morning, and I hate to part from you at the doors of your room every night. I feel as though you have bewitched me, and all I see is you. You have my heart, and I wish to spend the rest of your life with you.” Legolas took Kili’s hands in his and pressed a cold band into his palm, “Kili, prince of Erebor, advisor to the king of Mirkwood, will you marry me?”

Kili felt his mouth run dry. Marry him? He stepped back, tearing his hands away from Legolas. The ring Legolas pressed to his skin hit the ground with a loud thud. “I… I can’t.” Kili kept backing away.

Ignoring the ring on the ground, Legolas closed the gap between them. Once again, Kili was reminded of the differences between them. Legolas was taller and, even worse, above him in social standing. Legolas was overpowering and overshadowed him. Kili felt small. 

“Why not?” Legolas’s eyes searched as if looking for the answer to this shattering heartbreak. “I thought you’d want the same thing. I thought you cared for me.”

Kili didn’t have a reason. It would make sense to say yes; There was no reason to say no. That doesn’t stop him from turning away and leaving Legolas there in the middle of the dance floor, a ring and a future forgotten.

_“A shame that the dwarf prince said no Legolas. He would have made such a lovely groom,” said an elven maid as she cleaned up the aftermath of the party._

_“Truly,” said her partner, cleaning off the buffet, “But you know those dwarves, they’re stuck in their heads and only think of gems and gold.”_

_The elf maid nodded, “I do wonder what will come of the dwarrow. I’ve never prince Legolas so crestfallen.”_

_“He’ll probably run off and go home. I don’t see why prince Kili would stay here after humiliating the prince.”_

Kili closed the doors of his rooms and buried his face in his hands. He could never marry Legolas. They were friends. That’s all he ever thought they were. In the silence, Kili thinks back on every interaction they’ve had; every handhold, every friendly dance, every night they snuck out to see the stars. It turns out it wasn’t quite as friendly as he thought. 

There was a knock on the door, and Kili jumped. He prayed to Mahal that it was anyone but Legolas. 

“I do not wish to have visitors tonight,” He said.

“Kili, it’s me; please open up.” It was his mother.

He opened the door, and Dis was standing there--thankfully alone--pity in her eyes. 

“Oh, my darling,” she said and opened her arms for him.

He was quick to close the distance between, and he held her tightly. The only place he felt genuinely safe was in her arms.

“Please tell me I did the right thing.” Her fur coat muffled his voice.

She ran her fingers through his hair as she used to when he was a child, “The only one who can answer that is you. It would have done much for our people politically, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is if you love him. Do you love him?”

Kili squeezed her again, hoping that would take the pain away. It didn’t. “I… I don’t. I never have, and I didn’t intend for him to fall in love with me.”

_Legolas paced the floor of his father’s study. The party came to an abrupt end after Kili walked out. Instead of music, there were whispers from the guests trying to figure out what happened._

_“The party, the music, the outfit, it was all for him! I had a speech planned, but I couldn’t get the words out when the moment came. He must think me a fool.”_

_Thranduil was sitting in one of his chairs by the fire, sipping a glass of his favorite bubbly wine. His heart was grieved for his son and wished he could take the pain away even though he knew he couldn’t. “You cannot force someone to love you, Legolas. It’s best you figured out now where his feelings lie before you spent years pining for him. Besides, he did you a favor. If you had said yes, you would have been trapped in a loveless marriage.”_

_A loud, heartbroken groan escaped Legolas’s mouth. The elven prince felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and felt the cold metal of the ring brush his fingers. The ring intended for Kili was his mother’s._

_“I know,” Legolas said finally, “But because I said something, I’m going to lose him.”_

The Durin’s left early the next morning. Thorin had gone to see Thranduil and to ask to allow Kili to come home to Erebor. Of course, Thranduil said yes. Thranduil promised their peace treaty would be upheld. 

Kili stayed silent on the way back to the mountain. He watched as the forest of Mirkwood grew into a speck in the distance. He left without saying goodbye to Legolas, and he hated how guilty that made him feel. He was running, running far away from a future that would have certainly made him unhappy but would have kept him from being lonely. Maybe that should have counted for something.

Fili placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “You did the right thing.” Kili couldn’t help but wonder if his mother told Fili of the conversation they had the night before. Kili is glad if she did. He needed the reassurance. 

“I couldn’t marry him, Fee. Not when I don’t care for him the way he wants me to. If I had stayed, I’m sure I would have grown resentful.”

Fili reached his arm around Kili’s shoulders and pulled his brother to his side, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad to have you home. It’s much too quiet in that mountain without you.”

“You won’t get rid of me again; I promise you that. Though, I’ll never regret my time in Mirkwood. It was fun, and I owe the elven king a lot. I know that, in time, Prince Legolas will forget all about me. I think I’m fine with that.”

_Kili and Legolas ran through the halls of Mirkwood. They wanted to go out and hunt and feel the wind on their faces. Together, the two of them felt truly alive, two halves of a whole. They whispered to each other as the moon shone shined down on them._

_“Promise me, Kili, even when you’re old and gray, you won’t forget your time here with me.”_

_“I could never, Legolas. Besides, I know you’ll be at my side even at my last breath. I demand it.”_

_Legolas laughed. The dwarf bringing out something in him he didn’t know possible, “Of course I will be. I’ll be with you forever, Kili.”_


End file.
